Concordat of 1953
Encyclopedia
The Concordat of 1953 was the last classic concordat
of the Roman Catholic Church
. Concluded by Spain
(under the regime of Francisco Franco
) with the Vatican
, and together with the Pact of Madrid
, signed the same year, it was a significant effort to break Spain's international isolation
after World War II
.
In return for the granting by the Vatican of the "royal patronage" (Patronato real, the privilege of Spanish kings to appoint clerical figures) to Franco, the concordat gave the Church a set of privileges, e.g. state funding and exemption from government taxation.
The Concordat of 1953 superseded the Concordat of 1851
and Franco
's 1941 Convention with the Vatican.
Franco had wanted a full concordat with royal rights of patronage i.e. the right to choose bishops. The Vatican, uncertain of his future, compromised by offering him a less official "convention" which gave him only a limited role in choosing bishops. After Franco's regime managed to survive World War II, the terms of the Convention of 1941 were formalized in Article 7 of the Concordat of 1953.
In contrast to the anticlericalism of the Popular Front, the Francoist regime established policies that were highly favorable to the Catholic Church, which was restored to its previous status as the official religion of Spain. In addition to receiving government subsidies, the church regained its dominant position in the education system, and laws conformed to Catholic dogma.
During the Franco years, Roman Catholicism was the only religion to have legal status; other worship services could not be advertised, and the Roman Catholic Church was the only religious institution that was permitted to own property or publish books. The government not only continued to pay priests' salaries and to subsidize the church, but it also assisted in the reconstruction of church buildings damaged by the war. Laws were passed abolishing divorce and banning the sale of contraceptives. Catholic religious instruction was mandatory, even in public schools.
In return for granting the Catholic Church these privileges, Franco obtained the right to name Roman Catholic bishops in Spain, as well as veto power over appointments of clergy down to the parish priest level.
Concordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Concluded by Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(under the regime of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
) with the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, and together with the Pact of Madrid
Pact of Madrid
The Pact of Madrid, signed in 1953 by Spain and the United States, ended a period of virtual isolation for Spain, although the other victorious allies of World War II and much of the rest of the world remained hostile to what they regarded as a fascist regime sympathetic to the Nazi cause and...
, signed the same year, it was a significant effort to break Spain's international isolation
International isolation
International isolation is a penalty applied by the international community or a sizeable or powerful group of countries, like the United Nations, towards one nation, government or people group...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In return for the granting by the Vatican of the "royal patronage" (Patronato real, the privilege of Spanish kings to appoint clerical figures) to Franco, the concordat gave the Church a set of privileges, e.g. state funding and exemption from government taxation.
The Concordat of 1953 superseded the Concordat of 1851
Concordat of 1851
The Concordat of 1851 was an concordat between the Spanish government of Queen Isabella II and the Vatican. Although the concordat was signed on March 16, 1851, its terms were not implemented until 1855. The concordat remained in effect until it was repudiated by the Second Spanish Republic in 1931...
and Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's 1941 Convention with the Vatican.
Background
Franco's political system was virtually the antithesis of the final government of the republican era—the Popular Front government. In the early years of the Franco regime, church and state had a close and mutually beneficial association. The Catholic Church's support of Franco lent legitimacy to the dictatorship.Franco had wanted a full concordat with royal rights of patronage i.e. the right to choose bishops. The Vatican, uncertain of his future, compromised by offering him a less official "convention" which gave him only a limited role in choosing bishops. After Franco's regime managed to survive World War II, the terms of the Convention of 1941 were formalized in Article 7 of the Concordat of 1953.
In contrast to the anticlericalism of the Popular Front, the Francoist regime established policies that were highly favorable to the Catholic Church, which was restored to its previous status as the official religion of Spain. In addition to receiving government subsidies, the church regained its dominant position in the education system, and laws conformed to Catholic dogma.
During the Franco years, Roman Catholicism was the only religion to have legal status; other worship services could not be advertised, and the Roman Catholic Church was the only religious institution that was permitted to own property or publish books. The government not only continued to pay priests' salaries and to subsidize the church, but it also assisted in the reconstruction of church buildings damaged by the war. Laws were passed abolishing divorce and banning the sale of contraceptives. Catholic religious instruction was mandatory, even in public schools.
In return for granting the Catholic Church these privileges, Franco obtained the right to name Roman Catholic bishops in Spain, as well as veto power over appointments of clergy down to the parish priest level.
Terms
In 1953 this close cooperation was formalized in a new Concordat with the Vatican that granted the church an extraordinary set of privileges:- mandatory canonical marriages for all Catholics;
- exemption from government taxation;
- subsidies for new building construction;
- censorship of materials the church deemed offensive;
- the right to establish universities;
- the right to operate radio stations, and to publish newspapers and magazines;
- protection from police intrusion into church properties; and
- exemption of clergy from military service.